For Wilshire Baptist Church
Working at the Dallas Chamber of Commerce in the 1980s, I witnessed the boom in downtown office tower construction. It was an exciting time with parties and celebrations as each new building topped out and opened, but by the end of the decade the boom was over and there were only two big construction projects under way: the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and the Lew Sterrett Justice Center. I recall at the time being intrigued by the contrast of these very large, very different public works projects: performing arts on the one hand and criminal justice on the other.
I’ve been thinking about this again, because in the span of just five days this week I have sat in both the Meyerson and the county’s Central Jury Room. At the Meyerson, my spirit was lifted and soul refreshed by the music of the renowned Romeros Guitar Quartet. At the Central Jury Room, it was more a feeling of dread. The only thing the two experiences had in common was they both drew a large crowd and I was in it.
In a recorded podcast that we listened to after the guitar concert, Pepe Romero, founder of the quartet, said it is his “duty” to share his love and knowledge of music with young people, and he offered this advice to beginning musicians: “There is so much emphasis these days in competitions and in developing the craft. Do not forget the passion. The enjoyment of the process is very important.”
I can’t help but think that passion is missing from a lot of what we do and a lot of what we learn. I’m not a teacher, but the teachers I know talk about the pressure they are under to move students through the system with rules and processes that leave little room for nurturing a passion and enjoyment of learning but also discovering who they are and who they might become. I’m also not a parent, but I witness at least anecdotal evidence of over-worked parents who over-schedule their children with activities that emphasize winning and ranking with little room for just enjoying the experience.
I wonder, then, if the packed Central Jury Room is a result of the lack of passion in our society. Everyone in the room was summoned there at 8 a.m. to potentially pass judgment on someone who may have run afoul of the law out of ignorance, boredom, hopelessness, desperation or anger. Some of those facing a trial may have missed out on the benefits of discipline, leadership, mentoring, education, good role models and simple encouragement to enjoy doing and being their best. Sure, there are some truly bad people in the system, but I believe that is a small percentage, and even they might have done better had they been given more opportunities and more encouragement to make better choices.
As it happened, I wasn’t chosen to serve on a jury this time around. As usual, my feeling was relief because at the courthouse, it feels like I’m being asked to play God and pass judgement. I prefer to be in the concert hall where it feels like I’m listening to the very voice of God. I wonder if more opportunities to listen – whether it be music or just that inner voice that says “you are good and worthy” – might lead to less need for judging?